Does the blame fall squarely on Richard Jefferson? Is Tim Duncan's game on the quick decline? Is Manu Ginobili pulling a Central American baseball player on us and really 5-years older than his birth certificate? Or does Gregg Popovich no longer get through to he troops, falling in that long-term head coach malaise that Phil Jackson says happens after years of coaching the same group... basically do players just tune out the same coach speak?

All really good reasons for the Spurs decline but I think it's a far greater and more simpler reason... The Spurs are no longer trying to win championships and instead are focused on beating the Lakers. Now this comes off a little arrogant, especially from a Lakers fan like myself, but allow me to explain, and the best way to understand it is to compare college football rivalries.

UCLA and USC are HUGE rivals here in LA. The college football relationship between the two schools is a little different than most college football powerhouses. USC recruits, practices, plays (and some say pays) and prepares for an NCAA championship every single year. This is their goal from day one. UCLA on the other hand plays to beat USC. Now I'm not saying that USC doesn't want to beat UCLA, because they do, I'm just saying that their big picture is more than just beating UCLA. Yet ask any UCLA football fan and the most important thing is to "beat SC!"

Somewhere in the last 2 years the Spurs went from the big picture of winning a title to re-arranging their team to beat the Lakers. This change of focus really started in 2007-08 when a Bynum-led front line proved to be a major problem to the Spurs and was fast-tracked after the Gasol trade. So it makes sense to revamp your squad to beat the two-time Western Conference Champs, obviously all roads to the Finals pass through LA.

But see that's the problem, the Spurs lost their direction along the way. Before 2008 the Spurs were notorious for ability to find the true diamonds in the rough or convince key veterans to sign at the right price and piece them around one of the best players in the history of the NBA, Tim Duncan. The list is endless in cap-friendly and talented finds: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Steven Jackson (yes Captain Jack has a ring from 2003), Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Jaren Jackson, Steve Kerr, Robert Horry... I can go on and on. These players all learned and won by playing the Spurs way of basketball by deferring to the combined leadership of Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich.

That somehow changed the past two years. They signed vets like Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff (???) to counter the Lakers size and went for the rare big-splash deal with Richard Jefferson. Two really past their prime vets and a swingman making $14-15 mil. per year who by the way is a terrible fit with Pop's system. This is completely out of character for the Spurs. Where is the tried and true 8-year vet like the Roger Mason acquisition two years ago? Instead they're stuck with Richard Jefferson's horrible contract and are over the cap for the first time in like forever. Now I really liked the DeJuan Blair pick but even that may not end well because HE HAS NO ACL'S... which out of nowhere could be a problem.

Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Popovich are all still in or at the tail end of their primes and can rally if the Spurs return to "Spurs Ball" this summer and find a way to revamp their roster. What they should stop trying to do is build their team to beat the Lakers. Yes, the current champions are here in LA, but it doesn't guarantee that they're a lock for the championship, especially after how much they struggled last season against Houston and this season against Denver.

Look at what Dallas did in the offseason; they followed the old Spurs model and signed players to fit THEIR system (BTW - Shawn Marion should would have been that veteran the Spurs usually sign). They didn't build/improve their team to beat LA, they built their roster around Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki and gave it a go. And through January they looked like a top tier team in the West... which is what the Spurs should be shooting for, instead of LA.

January 12, 2010

The Spurs are back! Tim Duncan has found a career second wind! The Jefferson trade reveals that the Spurs front office, as always, is far ahead of the pack. DeJuan Blair is the greatest, yet most-est underrated draft pick ever! Watch out LA, because the Spurs are a-comin'! Manu Ginobili is finally healthy! Tony Parker continues to develop! The Spurs are back!

BLAH... BLAH... BLAH....

Is there ever a more predictable rant as the annual "Spurs are still contenders" article/post? It starts around Christmas time with the "these guys are notorious slow starters" and gains steam in the spring. By playoff time, "NBA Experts" are literally drooling at the prospect of the Spurs rising up to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers (or at least give them a decent run in a 7-game series).

Well my friends, that simply ain't happening... not in the Tim Duncan era, not in the Kobe Bryant era and especially not in the Phil Jackson era. So let's not take too much into the Spurs 105-85 win over LA... for several reasons:

1. A heathy Lakers squad is virtually unstoppable - Not to sound like a Celtics fan and make injury excuses (BTW - they officially own the injury excuses business with the death of two players), but the Lakers have only lost TWO games with a healthy squad. Repeat, with a healthy Pau Gasol (who has missed 16 games so far), Ron Artest (missed 5 games with a concussion and still recovering) and Kobe Bryant (broken finger and back spasms in tonight's loss to the Spurs) the Lakers have lost ONLY TWO GAMES.

2. The Spurs NEEDED this win - First round elimination last year with a completely revamped roster and the defending champs rolling into town it was imperative that the Spurs get a W. You're looking at a playoffs level effort from the Spurs. Just imagine of they lost at home to a broken Lakers team... it wasn't happening.

3. Have I mentioned that Phil Jackson OWNS Greg Popovich in the playoffs? This can't be stated enough, but Phil Jackson's playoff series record against Greg Popovich is 4-1 which breaks down to an 18-8 game record for all five series. I agree that Greg Popovich is one of the best coaches in the modern era, one of the few who actually coach for the entire season rather than game to game... BUT... Phil Jackson DOMINATES Pop... and the numbers don't lie. But while we're here, 10 NBA titles to 4.

4. The Spurs are old. Sorry Spurs fans, but your team is old. Duncan is 33 (but a big's 33, years of contact down low is taking a toll, just ask KG), Manu is 32 (but an Argentinian 32, which looks more like a 36 with a faked birth certificate), McDyess is 35 (one of the key off season acquisitions to counter the Lakers size)... now Richard Jefferson is 29 and Tony Parker is a spry 27 so I'm sure everything is okay. Except that Duncan has worn down late in the last two seasons and what... he's going to suddenly bounce back late this season?

And I haven't even mentioned Michael Finley's carcass... which I believe was wished into the cornfield sometime in November to join Bruce Bowen.

And NO, Blair and his missing ACL's aren't going to be the difference-maker to counter the Lakers size this season. I actually LOVE the guy's feel for the game. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. But he's not dominant enough to make a difference in a 7-game series.

5. Did I mention that Richard Jefferson is overrated? Other than Byron Scott, no other shooting guard/small forward has benefited from a Hall of Fame point guard more than Richard Jefferson. Jason Kidd MADE Richard Jefferson. Those open shots in the right places on the wing... Jason Kidd. Those sweet fill-in-the-lane dunks... Jason Kidd. Those easy drives to the hole... Jason Kidd. Sure Jefferson scored more points the past two seasons without Kidd in New Jersey and Milwaukee, but he was the offensive focal points those two years, and took a lot more shots... however... both seasons were spent lottery bound... while Jason Kidd is busy reviving the Mavs.

What is Jefferson doing this year? Looking to fit in an offensive system that doesn't cater to his skills, standing on the perimeter hoping to get a kick-out from Manu or Parker driving the lane or Duncan posting up. And it's no surprise to see his ppg. drop to the lowest since his rookie year. Not really what the Spurs (or the "NBA experts) envisioned when they traded for RJ. He was supposed to be that special piece to the puzzle... more like a round peg in a square hole.

So yes, write those "The Spurs are Back!" posts... write away and tell me how great they are. Tell me how they're the second best in the west. Tell me how they Lakers may lose to them in the playoffs. Tell me oh tell me...

June 26, 2009

I'm not really up on all the players drafted yesterday since the only NCAA hoops I watched all year was from the Las Vegas Hilton on the first weekend of March Maddness... Basically my knowledge on the college scene falls somewhere between Stu Scott and Rick Kamla (or Vanilla Scott as I like to call him).

So here are my thoughts on the trades from the past 48-hours:

1 - Shaq to Cleveland: Props to the NBA media for not overreacting and proclaiming the Cavs the 2010 NBA Champs. Props to Danny Ferry for going "all in" and taking a chance on Shaq, hoping to convince LeBron to re-sign in 2010. And props for Donald T. Sterling 2.0 for completely ruining one of the NBA's greatest franchises and killing Steve Nash's final years as a player. This trade has way more questions than answers.

Will Shaq play second fiddle to the league's biggest alpha dog? He thinks Kobe was bad but LeBron runs EVERYTHING in Cleveland. His teammates, his gags, his front office... this is LeBron's team. From Penny to Kobe to Wade... all three All-Stars were young and didn't have the locker room pull that LeBron has. Kobe was stubborn and always battling Shaq to be THE number one, but Shaq always had the Lakers roster and coaching staff on his side. Shaq is clearly the outsider in Cleveland, will his ego accept being a number #2?

And don't tell me that he settled in with Phoenix as the #2! Just one season in, the Suns were slowing things down and dumping to Shaq just like all the previous teams he played for. Now we're hearing that Nash requested the Suns trade away Shaq. He's 37 years old and he's never changed his demeanor as a player. Why would he change now?

Will Shaq have patience for Mike Brown, the guy who was thoroughly out-coached by Mr. Master of Panic Stan Van Gundy? As the Eastern Conference Finals showed us (and as I've been literally screaming for years!), the Cavs have one play in their offensive playbook. Just one! High screen and roll for LeBron where his options are: 1) step back for a three, 2) drive down the lane, 3) pass to the corner for a three, 4) hit the rolling big man to the hoop. That's it! But LeBron is so damn talented that he normally overcomes defenses (well expect when playing the Lakers, Orlando or Boston, but NOBODY seemed to remember this during the regular season DESPITE THE LAKERS SWEEPING THEM!!!) Anyway, Mike Brown is CLEARLY the worst head coach that Shaquille O'Neal has played for (and yes that includes Terry Porter and Del Harris).

The Cavs now have their first low-post option since a pre-lockout Shawn Kemp in 1998. Will Mike Brown add a second page to his offensive playbook and post up Shaq? What happens when they face Orlando during a regular season game and start trailing? Will Shaq DEMAND the ball during timeouts or will Mike Brown freeze up (like in the ECF's) and just ask LeBron to save them? How soon before Shaq realizes the huge gap in ability between Mike Brown and Stan Van Gundy?

Does this trade make LeBron Tom Hagen? Or is he Connie? One of Shaq's best quotes was his comparison of his superstar teammates to the Corleone Family. Penny Hardaway was Fredo (hilarious), Kobe was Sonny (temperamentally very true) and Dwyane Wade was Michael (maybe). There's really only two left, Connie and the adopted Tom Hagen. The way I see it, Steve Nash and LeBron is Tom Hagen who was one of the smarter and more appearance-savvy members of the Corleone Family... much like LeBron. Nash as Connie totally makes sense considering Connie was the least valuable sibling in the Corleone family (BTW - Nash and Shaq combined for ONE playoff victory)... HOWEVER her actions did lead to Sonny’s death. And Nash did eliminate Kobe twice in the playoffs.

2 - Vince Carter to Orlando: The Magic gave up virtually nothing and got a former All-Star to add depth to the defending Eastern Conference Champ AND/OR a quality back-up plan in case Hedo leaves. A brilliant deal! If Orlando gets 80% of Vince Carter from his All-Star days AND they re-sign Hedo you're looking at the favorites in the Eastern Conference. They added scoring and athletic depth and another player that will force defenses to spread out and give Howard even more space to score from down low. If Howard expands his low-post game (which he will), the look out, this might be the next NBA Champs.

If Hedo leaves, they are still one of the top contenders. With Carter they'll get a player like Hedo who can clear out defenses and iso during crunch time. But I think Hedo will stay in Orlando. Now all of this depends on Carter's motivation... which should be high now that he's closer to a NBA title than ever before.

Here's my question... With Cleveland and Orlando making major moves, will Boston try to counter?

3 - Richard Jefferson to San Antonio: Spurs get Richard Jefferson for left-over garbage (Bowen, Oberto and Thomas). I guess Popovich is no longer complaining that the league needs a trade czar because this is almost as one-sided as the Gasol trade last year. In fact, one could argue that the Grizzlies got more because of Marc Gasol... a promising big. The Spurs trade old size and defense and get a proven athletic scorer in Jefferson. This trade gets the Spurs back in the second round of the playoffs but it doesn't counter the Lakers size.

Now if the Spurs can somehow find a way to sign Rasheed Wallace, then they become the odds on favorite in the West.

4 - Jamal Crawford to Atlanta: Wow another high-scoring player with ZERO basketball IQ! Just when you though the Hawks were the dumbest team in the NBA, they just found a new level of supid-itude (a way of saying suckitude except with stupid). I really can't find a proper word for how dumb this team is... but what do you expect from a team whose head coach's game face is the "who farted??" look! Such a MEH trade!

5 - Amare to Golden State: This isn't official until July 8th (or until EVERY Phoenix Suns season ticket holder skips town) but it looks like a done deal. So in two seasons the Suns go from the SSOL, high-scoring, high-impact, fun to watch and with several All-Stars and a major contender to NOTHING. What a shame! Robert Sarver IS Donald T. Sterling 2.0 make no mistake about it.

Initial trade rumors have the Warrior sending Curry over with Biedrins, but now I hear they're keeping Curry. So why give up a relatively young annual All-Star with a very exciting game for absolutely nothing?

Knock on the Clippers all you want but since they moved into Staples Center they've at least tried to assemble a team with talent. Mis-guided efforts aside, every season Clippers fans at least have a small glint of hope when they look at their roster (Barron Davis, Marcus Camby, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin... these are players with talent!). But teams like Phoenix, Memphis, Sacramento and Charlotte don't even try... they're a lottery team BEFORE October! Why plunk down hard earned $$ to even watch this crap.

Watching Phoenix dissolve into this garbage is sad.... Screw you Sarver!

April 20, 2009

March Madness eat your heart out! One weekend down and there were several upsets, a few stinkers and a couple expected results. As much as I love the whole one and done March Madness thing, you don't get the physical play, the adjustments and strategy that a 7-game series offers. Here are a few thoughts with one game down in each series:

Boston vs. Chicago - Is there room on the Derrick Rose bandwagon? The Bulls were the one team I regret not seeing in person this year. Anyone with an eye for hoops can appreciate the full range this rookie brings to the Bulls but what I didn't notice until Saturday is Rose's quick and explosive LAST step. Most players have that quick first step to blow by defenders but Rose explodes right at the rim at his last step. Also, his extremely calm nature works well with the youthful Bulls. Game 1 against the defending champs and he has the heart rate of a librarian and it's contagious as the Bulls weren't phased at all. I still think Boston wins, but the Bulls should make Rose the GM, coach and owner and build around him for the next 12 years.

Cleveland vs. Detroit - Are we done yet? Are we done yet? Are we done yet? SWEEP!

San Antonio vs. Dallas - One quarter in, Duncan had springy legs and looked very 2007, I was on the brink of writing a "Mavs should have kept Maquis Daniels instead of Josh Howard" piece and Nowitzki was in foul trouble... basically it didn't look good for Dallas. I left home, went out thinking the Spurs would win easily and I caught the last few seconds at a bar as Dallas... PULLED AWAY FOR A W??? What the hell happened? Suddenly Dallas looks like a very legit Western Conference finalist and San Antonio looks old.

Portland vs. Houston - This really looks like a match-up problem for Portland more than anything else. Maybe their inexperience cost them a W as they didn't have that fifth gear or maybe they're just happy to be there. All I know is Yao played the best playoff game of his life and showed EVERYONE that the problem was always T-MAC.

Los Angeles vs. Utah - No Okur, no chance for Utah... it's just that simple. But the real story is the referees killing the entire second half of the game. It's no surprise that Joey Crawford was the lead ref in the worst called game of the weekend. Does the NBA pay him by the fouls? Does he really think the fans pay to see him ref? Is he out to single-handedly ruin professional hoops? There were SIXTEEN fouls in the 3rd quarter alone and a free-flowing game became a possession-by-possession freethrow festival. Terrible!

Orlando vs. Philadelphia - I've said this all year, Orlando doesn't have the go to guy necessary to make a deep run in the playoffs. C-Webb pretty much blew a gasket ripping on the Magic not riding Dwight Howard all game. But does Superman really want to be "that guy" with the Magic or is he content with monster numbers, monster dunks and showmanship? NBA Champions all have the definitive alpha dog and an understood chain of command. The Celtics heart lies with KG but crunchtime went Pierce first and Sugar Ray second. The early 00's Lakers had Shaq for 3 1/2 quarters with Kobe as the closer... what about Orlando?

Atlanta vs. Miami - The Hawks put together a Special Edition Double-DVD set of highlights on the Heat on Sunday. Instead of 2006 Kobe and the Lakers with their near upset of the #2 seeded Phoenix Suns, the Heat resembled the 2007 edition and the very one-sided 4-1 loss to Phoenix. But we'll see what kind of road playoff team Atlanta is in games 3 & 4.

Denver vs. New Orleans - Denver put together a sick 21-0 run late in the 3rd early in the 4th to put away what was a close and very physical game. Chauncey Billups went retro looking like a 2005 version going 8 of 9 from three on his way to 36 points. NOLA basically gave up at the end of the 3rd quarter so this blowout doesn't really mean the Nuggets will sweep. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if NOLA steals game 2. This really feels like a very bitter and very physical seven game series.

December 26, 2008

The NBA needs to strongly reconsider those Christmas Day logos worn by the players yesterday. I'll let the photos speak for themselves but you might want to mix in an extra point on those NBA snowflakes because they look exactly like those Star of David badges worn my Jews in 1940's Europe.

November 06, 2008

How the mighty have fallen.... The Spurs need a thrice-in-a-lifetime effort from Tony Parker just to beat a very average Timberwolves team. Look I'm not taking anything away from Parker's 50 and 10 last night at all. If anything it reinforces just how talented of a player he is as he joins MJ and Oscar Robertson as the only players to have 50 points and 10 assists in the same game.

But did anyone bother to see the boxscore? Take away Tim Duncan's typical numbers and you have a roster that the 1999 Clippers (who opened 0-19) could dominate. In double overtime the other three starters couldn't sniff double figures (a COMBINED six points!!!!)... which makes Parker's 10 assists even more impressive.

So the Spurs NEED dominant games from both Parker and Duncan just to stay afloat until Ginobili returns. That's a lot to ask for from Duncan, who normally coasts until All Star break and with a ton of miles on his body, will he have the energy for a playoff run? Mix in a very old Bruce Bowen and a very ancient Michael Finley and you have a Spurs team
that looks more like an eight seed rather than a championship contender.

May 30, 2008

The battle of the two best coaches is the NBA is so one sided it's time to throw in the towel. Fact: Phil Jackson owns Greg Popovich and it's not even close. Going head-to-head in the playoffs, Jackson is 4-1 against Popovich's Spurs (18-8 if you count all the games).

Beyond the obvious. let's look at two key adjustments (as Greg Anthony revealed on ESPN) Jackson made for Game 5. First, with the Triangle Offence being well-defended by the Spurs in the first half, Jackson went to a high screen and roll with Kobe and Gasol. What this did was bring Tim Duncan away from the hoop giving Kobe an easier path to the rim. The Lakers ran this play the entire 4th quarter and Kobe capitalized with 17 points, closing out the Spurs in the process. True, Kobe is the best closer in the NBA, but a lot had to do with Jackson opening up the lane with this adjustment.

On defense, the Lakers focused on shutting down Manu Ginobili by forcing him to his right and rotating over if he broke freee from his defender. Ginolibli mught have been hurt, but the difference between good and great players is their ability to make a difference in the game DESPITE injuries (like Kobe's back spasms in the Utah series). I think it's safe to say that Manu's good but not great and the Lakers defense had a lot to do with that.

So while the Lakers wait for Boston to eliminate Detroit (sorry Pistons, but you're too broken to advance), Lakers fans can take solace that there are no coaching peers in the NBA for Phil Jackson. Nine NBA titles, 11 NBA Finals appearances... scoreboard!

May 28, 2008

Here's the biggest question of them all: Does the anti-Lakers faction (the NBA is rigged!) out-weigh the anti-Spurs faction (they're a very boring group of thugs!)?

Anyway, as the Spurs even say, the game wasn’t lost by the no-call. Is anyone willing to criticize the horrible play-calling and execution for that last-second shot? Of course not, because the NBA is rigged! (I find this high-larious! A team that benefited from Robert Horry’s thuggery and some very bullshit rules the last two seasons is suddenly “screwed” by the refs.) Here’s a bigger question; why is the Spurs season falling into the hands of a guy who was released by the Seattle Redneck Sonics two months ago? Where was Tony Parker, one of the alleged top-five point guards in the NBA? Where was Manu Ginobili, the NBA’s sixth man? Where was Big Shot Bob (who was standing in the background clapping for the ball from Barry, you can see him on the replay)?

The Spurs choked with 2.3 seconds on the clock and their fans wanted/needed/prayed for the refs to bail them out. The Spurs picked the wrong time to pull a Clippers (who are historically bad in the clutch) and now their “dynasty” (though I have a hard time calling a team that’s incapable of going back-to-back a dynasty, but alas), their “dynasty” is at death’s door.

And by the way, if we're calling out the refs for that no-call, the lets point put that Kobe Bryant attempted ZERO freethrows in the game. You mean to tell me that a guy that averaged 9.1 freethrow attempts during the regular season had zero chances last night??? BTW - the last time he attempted zero freethrows in a playoff game? The 0.4 game... SCOREBOARD!

Here's the video of the (somehow) controversial play at the end of Game 4. You can read my full take at FanHouse, but basically, that's not a foul that should ever be called to decide a game, period. Popovich and Barry said so themselves, so let it go, Spurs fans.

May 26, 2008

Turns out Manu Ginobili isn't really injured.... just inconsistent. Still, I was expecting this type of offensive explosion in Game 2. But he clearly was the difference maker tonight as the Spurs thoroughly kicked the Lakers ass 103-84. So is it the magical healing of home court? Did he finally get a manicure? Or is it a very clutch shot of cortisone? Or is Manu protected by the media because as I've said before he's very inconsistent.

Turns out the Spurs aren't dead... in fact the defending champs are very much alive. But they were ripe for the picking at the start of the game. In the first 6 minutes the Spurs looked very unsure of themselves but the Lakers failed to take over early. Kobe tried to carry the load early on hoping to inject some energy into his teammates but they didn't bother to show up tonight. And the game was over as soon as Manu got hot halfway through the second quarter.

Turns out Lamar Odom isn't injured either... just VERY VERY inconsistent. Three games into the Western Conference Finals and Lamar has only showed up once. So was Game 2 an aberration? The Spurs are willing to get literally nothing on the offensive side from Robert Horry's rotting corpse because of his superb defensive job on Odom. He's frustrating the versatile forward, keeping him from getting to the hoop for any dunks. And that frustration is affecting his rebounding (he's the Lakers best defensive rebounder) and freethrow shooting (5-12 combined in Games 1 & 3). The Lakers can't beat San Antonio without Odom.

Turns out Derek Fisher is still in Utah. Is Tony Parker's speed getting to D-Fish? Is the long season taking a toll on the veteran guard? Is his leg injury slowing him down? Whatever it is the Lakers can't win if they continue to get single digits COMBINED from Odom and Fisher.

Turns out the Lakers can't come back from every big deficit. Game 1 set a dangerous precedent. Maybe the Lakers felt they could take a half off and come back every time.

Turns out the Pistons aren't the only team to not show up with a close-out opportunity. Outside of Farmar and Bryant there's no excuse for the Lakers lack of effort tonight. As I mentioned, the Spurs opened flat and were ripe for the kill. All the Lakers had to do was bring the same effort as Game 6 against Utah, silence the crowd and this series would end in a sweep. Instead, they didn't have any energy tonight. Kobe tried to force the issue but nobody bought into it. Suddenly Manu Ginobili blows up in the second quarter and the Spurs followed and it was over by halftime.

Turns out the Lakers CAN get blown out. I was wrong to think that these Lakers weren't capable of being blown out. Usually, as in Game 1, Kobe would find a way to inject energy in the team and they'd go down swinging. This loss was thoroughly disappointing because they let the Spurs back into the series.

Turns out the defending champs rose to the occasion. Spurs fans unite, your team finally showed up to the Western Conference Finals. And with such a dominant victory tonight, it tells me that we're headed for a very special Game 7.

Turns out this is a series. Better buckle up. It's going to be a bumpy ride.